Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a configuration environment for computer-assisted configuration of an interface between simulation hardware and an external device. A configuration environment of this nature has a display device, an input device, and a storage device for storing a database.
Description of the Background Art
Known from the article “ConfigurationDesk” in dSPACE Magazin February 2011, are a method and a configuration environment for supporting the configuration of an interface between a control system, e.g. a unit of simulation hardware, and an external device, for example a control unit. Such a method is commonly used in the area of control unit development, control unit programming, and control unit testing. Typical scenarios for the use of such methods include, for example, rapid control prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop simulations, which are shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. The interaction with the configuration environment is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
In rapid control prototyping, a control unit in the broadest sense—a development control unit, a prototyping hardware system or even a production control unit—constitutes a control system 11, and then of course comprises an electronic computing unit and an I/O device 12 associated with this computing unit, wherein this I/O device 12 need not constitute a separate item of equipment, but may form a control system 11 as a single item of equipment together with the computing unit. The I/O device 12 of the control system 11, which is to say the I/O interface of the control unit, typically has a variety of hardware functions such as digital and analog inputs, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, connections for the output of power signals, interfaces that manage specific communication protocols, or, for example diagnostic interfaces.
In the case of rapid control prototyping, the control system 11 in the form of the control unit is then connected to a technological physical process. The external device 13 here is composed of the sensors and actuators of the process, which in turn have an external interface 14 through which they—and thus indirectly the technological physical process—can be connected to the I/O device 12 of the control system 11. The I/O interface 12 of the control system 11 is configured via the configuration environment 15.
In the case of hardware-in-the-loop simulation, the control system 11 is a powerful simulation computer—electronic computing unit—with connected I/O modules—I/O device 12—and the external device 13 is a control unit or composite of control units that is to be tested in the HIL simulation, wherein the environment of the control unit is simulated by the control system 11—HIL simulator.
It is not critical which of the exemplary applications that are shown by way of example in the present case is implemented. What is critical is the fact that a substantial number of connections between the control system 11 and external device 13 or the external I/O interface 14 of the external device 13 must be established and configured, which entails substantial effort and, because of the complexity of such interfaces, can represent a significant source of error in the development process.
Using the example of a configuration of simulation hardware in the case of a hardware-in-the-loop simulation and with reference to FIG. 5, this entails the following steps, for example:
The electrical interfaces 14 of the external device 13, which is to say of the control unit to be tested in the case of a hardware-in-the-loop simulation, must be defined. Information concerning the inputs and outputs of the I/O interface 14, for example connector and pin count, is relevant for this purpose. More abstract data are also required, such as logical signal names with description, signal direction, which is to say input or output of the control unit 13, and physical signal characteristics such as voltage signal or current signal and information concerning whether a specific electrical fault is permitted to be connected to a control unit pin and what loads the control unit 13 expects at this pin. These data can be entered directly into the configuration environment 15 or can be imported through a file.
In addition, an environment model 17 must be incorporated. An environment model 17 is available as a MATLAB®/Simulink® model, for example. To link the I/O to the model 17, the configuration environment 15 provides, e.g., a Simulink library that contains interface blocks 18, known as model port blocks, for input, output, and trigger signals. These blocks 18 can be inserted in the model 17 at all model levels.
In the configuration environment 15, these components are assembled into an overall project in order to permit a configuration of the interface 12 between the control system 11 and external device 13. For example, the interfaces 14 of the at least one connected external device 13 are connected to I/O functionalities 16 of the simulation hardware, and these in turn are connected to model interfaces 18 of the environment model 17.
The I/O functions 16 initially define only what functionality is to be carried out by the simulator 11, such as PWM signal generation, regardless of the specific hardware on which this functionality is provided. In most cases, the same functionality can be provided on different hardware channels 12 or channel types.
Consequently, the required hardware channels 12 are assigned to the I/O functions 16 in another configuration step, known as hardware resource allocation.
The described sequence of steps is only one of many possible sequences. In addition, not all elements of this signal chain are absolutely necessary. Thus, information about the connected external devices 13 is not required for the actual simulation. Configuration is also possible when all that is present is I/O functions 16 and the environment model 17.
However, the prior art configuration method has the disadvantage that a great many settings at various input locations within the configuration environment 15 are necessary to create an overall configuration of the interface 12. This rapidly becomes confusing for the user, and thus error-prone.
Errors that are made during the configuration of the I/O interface 12 between the control system 11 and external device 13 also have a direct effect on the control program, which according to the method is generated automatically from—at a minimum—these data relating to the I/O configurations. The control program then controls the control system 11 in order to influence the external device 13 with the control system 11 in a planned manner, usually in real time.